A "sustainable safe" traffic system tries to prevent accidents by making it almost impossible to let them happen. However, traffic participants are very different from each other, and it may well be that there are people who are less suitable for driving a vehicle individually. In the countries around the Netherlands, psychodiagnostics is commonly used to detect this kind of problems in individuals who are repeatedly involved in accidents and traffic regulation violations. The Traffic Task Force of the European Federation of Associations of Psychologists (EFPPA) identified a variety of activities that psychologists may be engaged in concerning traffic and transport. Nowadays, Dutch psychologists participate almost entirely in the area of research and consultancy. In the course or harmonisation of regulations in Europe, it may be well possible that in the Netherlands the participation of psychologists in detection, tutoring and monitoring problematic traffic participants may increase. Setting proper professional standards is a requirement, as well as developing an educational (university) course for traffic psychologists. Quality management and assurance are needed for such an endeavour to be successful. (A)
Abstract